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UFC fighters are engaged in a constant race for glory. The athletes vye to get to the top position in their respective weight classes and compete for the championship title. Rankings in the UFC, therefore, become an important yardstick to measure fighters' caliber and abilities.
However, the UFC rankings do not follow a set logic, and are often contested by MMA fighters, experts and analysts. Similarly, many UFC fighters, especially ones down the ladder, refuse to accept they're no longer top contenders.
On that note, here's a look at five current UFC fighters who cannot accept they're no longer top contenders.
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#3 Conor McGregor - Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion
Conor McGregor could be a case study in why one needs to be wary of being a little too confident. The former UFC double champ has been spiraling down a rabbit hole since 2016. That was when he defeated Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight championship. The Irishman is 1-3 in the UFC in the last four years, slipping to ninth position in the lightweight rankings.
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According to Conor McGregor, though, he is still the top contender in the division. He thinks he is even better than the reigning champion Charles Oliveira. The 'Notorious' justified his UFC 257 loss against Dustin Poirier by saying he was looking past the Louisiana native. After UFC 264, he refused to give Poirier any credit for the TKO win (doctor stoppage), blaming it on pre-existing 'stress fractures'.
More than a month after suffering a nasty injury at UFC 264, Conor McGregor said he was better than 'everybody in my game'. He tweeted:
"Everyone in my game is shite bag shots; i’m clean tasty shots. Piercing shots."
Conor McGregor has always been in denial about other fighters being better than him. Instead, he has been more focused on highlighting how he is notches ahead of them. Posting pictures of himself and Poirier, he bragged about the 'lumps' he left on the #1-ranked UFC lightweight.
Just a few weeks after going down 2-1 in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier, McGregor announced that his comeback plans included a title shot. But for the 'Notorious' to earn legitimacy as a top-tier fighter and especially a title contender, he'll need some positive results.
Instead of building momentum and making his way to the top by beating top-five UFC lightweights, McGregor is aiming for the title.
#2 Nate Diaz - UFC welterweight
Nate Diaz is an OG in his own right, and he knows it too well. However, the 'Stockton Slugger' is 1-3 in his last four fights and is currently unranked as a UFC welterweight. But that doesn't make Diaz feel that he is not the title contender in the division.
Ahead of his fight against #3-ranked welterweight Leon Edwards at UFC 263, Diaz said that every fight he was in was a title fight:
"This is a title fight right here," Nate Diaz said of his fight against 'Rocky.' "Any fight I’m in is a title. Because in my whole career, everybody I have fought has either fought for the title, or it’s just everybody knows it. So I’m in the title fight.."
Nate Diaz reasoned that he has been fighting for more than a decade, and has achieved more than anybody else. According to the Stockton native, he is still on top, which is why he is still headlining UFC events. He said:
"I’ve been fighting for the last 10, 15 years. I’ve done it all. I’ve fought all these guys, and done more and done better than anybody. Keeping it real all the way through. I’m like the triathletes; we get better with age. Nobody has stayed on top as long as me, and I’m still headlining shows."
Showcasing his belief in himself as a top contender, Nate Diaz announced his future plans ahead of UFC 263. He said he would be in the mix for a title shot 'even if I lose".
#1 Derek Brunson - UFC middleweight
Derek Brunson submitted Darren Till in his most recent fight. He now believes he is a top contender for the UFC middleweight belt. The No.5-ranked middleweight has come a long way from his last fight against Israel Adesanya. In that bout, he was knocked out in round one by the would-be UFC champion.
However, with five wins in a row against rising UFC middleweights like Kevin Holland and the No.7-ranked Darren Till, Brunson feels he deserves a title shot. The 37-year-old has been hearing Israel Adesanya mention names of potential challengers that include Till and Jared Cannonier. Brunson is sick of being on the sidelines.
After dominating Till throughout the fight before submitting him at UFC Vegas 36, Brunson called out 'The Last Stylebender' and said:
"I'm tired of these guys not mentioning my name. Izzy, look at the camera, mention my name. I heard you mentioning Till and Cannonier. Yeah, I've been busting my butt for four years after my loss to get to this point. So yeah, I'm ready to contend."
Although Derek Brunson has a list of fighters ahead of him in the UFC middleweight division, such as Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa, he wants nothing less than a title shot. He wants to "rewrite that fight" from 2018 where 'Izzy' had knocked him out, and is ready to wait for the winner of Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2.
"I can wait until next March or so," Brunson said after his win against Till. "I'm not the youngest guy in this division, and I've been working really hard for this moment."
